Pharmaceuticals

From discovery to launch. Methodical recruiting for pharmaceutical talent.

Drug development is high stakes, slow to move, and heavily regulated—and the wrong hire can cost years, not weeks. ControlHire’s Pharmaceuticals practice connects companies with scientific, clinical, regulatory, and commercial talent who understand how to move molecules from bench to bedside while satisfying regulators, investors, and patients.

Who We Support

Early-stage pharma and biotech companies advancing a small pipeline
Mid-size and specialty pharma building out functions for late-stage and launch
Large pharma and global organizations running multi-country clinical programs
CDMOs, CROs, and other outsourced development / manufacturing partners
Generic drug manufacturers and specialty drug companies
Medical affairs, HEOR, and market access organizations
Vendors and platforms supporting clinical trials, safety, and real-world evidence

Types of Engagements

Direct-Hire – scientific, clinical, regulatory, and commercial roles from individual contributor through director
Interim & Fractional Leadership – interim heads of clinical, regulatory, PV, CMC, or quality during key transitions
Executive Search – VP/SVP/Head of functions such as Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, Pharmacovigilance, Quality, and Medical Affairs
Temp & Contract – trial build-out support, data cleanup, submissions prep, PV surge capacity, GxP remediation
Contract-to-Hire – “try before you buy” for key roles in clinical operations, safety, quality, and CMC

ControlHire & ControlTemp

We support direct-hire, executive search, temp, contract, and contract-to-hire, for finance and accounting roles at all levels.

Hiring?

Preclinical & Translational Science

Early science:

Research Associate / Senior Research Associate
Associate Scientist / Scientist / Senior Scientist
Principal Scientist / Group Leader
Pharmacologist / Toxicologist
DMPK Scientist (Drug Metabolism & Pharmacokinetics)
ADME Scientist
In Vitro Biologist / In Vivo Biologist
Molecular Biologist / Cell Biologist / Immunologist
Bioanalytical Scientist
Biomarker Scientist / Translational Scientist
Discovery Project Manager / Scientific Program Manager

CMC, Process, Manufacturing

Preclinical & Translational Science

Scalable compliant production:

CMC Scientist / CMC Project Manager
Process Development Scientist (Drug Substance / Drug Product)
Formulation Scientist (oral solid dose, injectables, biologics, etc.)
Analytical Development Scientist / Analytical Chemist
Method Development & Validation Scientist
Process Engineer / Bioprocess Engineer
Tech Transfer Scientist / Engineer
Manufacturing Scientist / Manufacturing Support Specialist
MS&T (Manufacturing Science & Technology) Specialist / Manager
Production Supervisor / Manufacturing Manager (GMP environment)
Validation Engineer (Process / Equipment / Cleaning / CSV)
CMC Regulatory Specialist / CMC Regulatory Manager

Clinical Development

Preclinical & Translational Science

Clinical Development

Designing and overseeing the trials:

Clinical Scientist / Senior Clinical Scientist
Medical Monitor / Study Physician
Clinical Development Physician (early / late phase)
Therapeutic Area Lead (Oncology, CNS, CV, Rare Disease, etc.)
Medical Director – Clinical Development
VP / Head of Clinical Development

Clinical Ops & Trials

Data, Biostatistics & Programming

Running the studies:

Clinical Trial Assistant (CTA) / Clinical Trial Coordinator
Clinical Research Associate (CRA) – in-house / remote / field-based
Senior CRA / Lead CRA
Clinical Trial Manager (CTM) / Senior CTM
Global Trial Manager / Global Study Manager
Clinical Program Manager / Portfolio Manager
Site Manager / Site Monitor
Study Start-Up Specialist (SSU)
Feasibility Specialist / Site Selection Specialist
Clinical Operations Manager / Senior Manager / Director
VP / Head of Clinical Operations

Data, Biostatistics & Programming

Data Management:

Clinical Data Coordinator / Data Management Associate
Clinical Data Manager / Senior Data Manager
EDC / eCRF Designer
Data Standards Specialist (CDISC, SDTM, ADaM)
Data Management Project Lead

Biostatistics & programming:

Biostatistician / Senior Biostatistician
Principal / Lead Biostatistician
Statistical Programmer (SAS, R)
Senior / Principal Statistical Programmer
PK/PD Modeler / Quantitative Pharmacologist
Director of Biostatistics / Biometrics
VP / Head of Biostatistics & Programming

Pharmacovigilance & Drug Safety

Data, Biostatistics & Programming

Pharmacovigilance & Drug Safety

Keeping patients safe:

Drug Safety Associate / Safety Specialist
Pharmacovigilance Associate / PV Specialist
Case Processing Specialist
Safety Scientist / Senior Safety Scientist
Signal Detection Analyst
Risk Management Specialist (RMPs, REMS, risk minimization)
Aggregate Report Writer (DSUR, PBRER, PSUR, etc.)
PV Operations Manager
Medical Safety Physician / Safety Officer
Head of Drug Safety / Director of Pharmacovigilance
VP / Global Head of Safety & PV

Regulatory Affairs & Submissions

Development with global health authorities:

Regulatory Affairs Assistant / Coordinator
Regulatory Affairs Associate / Specialist
CMC Regulatory Specialist (drug substance / drug product)
Regulatory Submissions Specialist (eCTD publishing, submission management)
Regulatory Labeling Specialist
Regulatory Strategy Manager / Senior Manager
Regional Regulatory Affairs Manager (US / EU / APAC)
Global Regulatory Lead / Global Regulatory Strategist
Director of Regulatory Affairs
VP / Global Head of Regulatory Affairs

Quality, GxP & Compliance

Regulatory Affairs & Submissions

Ensuring GxP standards:

Quality Control (QC) Analyst – Chemistry / Microbiology
QC Scientist / Senior QC Analyst
Quality Assurance (QA) Associate / QA Specialist
QA Operations Specialist (GMP / GLP / GCP)
GCP QA Auditor / GCLP Auditor
GMP QA Specialist / Batch Record Reviewer / QP Support (where applicable)
Supplier / Vendor Quality Specialist
Validation Specialist (Process, Cleaning, Computer Systems, CSV)
Deviations / CAPA Specialist
QA Manager / Senior Manager
Director of Quality – GxP / Site Quality Head
VP Quality / Head of Quality & Compliance

Medical Affairs, HEOR

Regulatory Affairs & Submissions

Medical Affairs, HEOR

Shaping how the science is understood:

Medical Science Liaison (MSL)
Senior / Regional MSL
Medical Information Specialist
Medical Writer (Regulatory / Clinical / Publications)
Publication Manager / Scientific Communications Manager
HEOR Analyst / Health Economist
Outcomes Research Scientist
Real-World Evidence (RWE) Scientist
Medical Affairs Manager / Director
Head of Medical Affairs / VP Medical Affairs

Market Access, Pricing & Commercial

Connecting product value to payers, providers, and patients:

Market Access Analyst / Specialist
Reimbursement Specialist / Patient Access Specialist
Field Reimbursement Manager
Payer Account Manager / National Account Manager
Pricing Analyst / Global Pricing Manager
Value & Access Manager
Brand Manager / Product Manager – Pharma
Sales Representative / Specialty Sales Rep / Hospital Sales Rep
Regional Sales Manager / District Manager
Commercial Operations Analyst / Sales Operations Analyst
Director of Market Access / Director of Pricing & Access
Commercial Director / Business Unit Director
VP / Head of Market Access & Commercial

Corporate, Strategy & Support

Market Access, Pricing & Commercial

Drug development and commercialization:

Portfolio / Program Manager – R&D / Clinical / Commercial
Corporate Development Analyst / BD&L Analyst
Licensing & Alliances Manager
Competitive Intelligence / Market Intelligence Analyst
Project Manager – R&D, clinical, or technical operations
HR Business Partner for R&D / Technical / Commercial functions
Finance & FP&A roles dedicated to R&D, clinical, or manufacturing (often cross-listed with your Finance vertical)

How We Recruit In Pharmaceuticals

Methodical Recruiting. Not Post-and-Pray.

Our finance searches follow a structured process:

Discovery & Role Definition – We start by understanding where the role sits in the drug development lifecycle (discovery, preclinical, clinical, CMC, quality, safety, or commercial), what stage your programs are in, key regulatory and GxP expectations, the cross-functional partners this person must work with, and what success looks like over the next 6–24 months.
Compliance & Regulatory Alignment – Before we source, we align on the specific experience and credentials you require—such as prior work in your indication, experience with EMA/FDA/ICH guidelines, GxP environment familiarity (GCP, GMP, GLP, GVP), and any must-have experience with health authority interactions, inspections, submissions, or audits—so we only pursue people who can operate at your required level.
Targeted Sourcing, Not Just Job Boards – We focus on candidates who have actually worked in relevant therapeutic areas, modalities, and stages (e.g., oncology Phase I–III, cell & gene therapy CMC, post-market PV) using a mix of direct outreach, scientific and clinical networks, specialized job boards, and our own database of pharma professionals—instead of just posting a generic ad and hoping the right CV appears.
Technical, Scientific & Behavioral Screening – We tailor screening to each function, covering scientific depth or operational experience (e.g., trial design, CMC strategy, validation, PV case processing, HEOR modeling), familiarity with relevant guidelines and tools, comfort working in matrixed and global teams, and communication style with clinicians, investigators, regulators, and internal stakeholders—so by the time you meet them, you’re seeing candidates vetted for both expertise and real-world fit.

Whether you’re adding a single clinical operations lead, scaling a safety or quality team, or searching for your next Head of Regulatory or CMC, ControlHire’s Pharmaceuticals practice is built to filter deeper, move faster, and help you control what you can—and hire better.

Hiring?